Reformatory district

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Project Overview

The City of Guelph is developing a Heritage Conservation District (HCD) Study and Plan for the Ontario Reformatory area.

The Ontario Reformatory opened in 1911 and served as a correctional facility for the first half of the 20th century. From 1970 through to its decommissioning in 2001, parts of the Reformatory site were repurposed and operated as the provincially run Guelph Correctional Centre. In 2016, Infrastructure Ontario indicated its intention to sell the property and completed the required environmental remediation at that time. The lands are now used by the public for passive recreation and environmental education.

The Ontario Reformatory lands, also known as the Guelph Correctional Centre, are at 785 York Road in Guelph’s east end, south of York Road and west of Watson Parkway South.

This project is divided into two phases. Each will include a mix of technical and engagement tasks:

Update

On March 21, the findings and recommendations of the Ontario Reformatory Heritage Conservation District (HCD) Study Phase 1 report will be presented to Council. The Study recommends that the Ontario Reformatory area, which consists of a unique collection of built heritage resources and cultural heritage landscape features be considered for designation as a heritage conservation district under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act and that a heritage conservation district plan and guidelines be prepared.

The staff report is available on guelph.ca/agendas. To access the agenda on the council calendar click on the March 21, 2023 meeting and the link for the agenda will pop up. The report starts on page 82 of the council agenda.

Phase 1: Heritage Conservation District Study

We will assess the historical, design, and contextual value of the study area; identify contributing and non-contributing properties and resources; review the existing policy framework in the area, and define boundaries for the cultural heritage landscape. Phase 1 also includes community engagement to help the project team further understand the community’s experience of the area and to inform the proposed HCD boundaries.

Phase 2: Heritage Conservation District Plan

Based on the outcomes of Phase 1 and the Council’s approval, we will build on the recommendations of the study. The plan will provide guidelines for managing change in ways that highlight the distinctive character of the area.


Project Overview

The City of Guelph is developing a Heritage Conservation District (HCD) Study and Plan for the Ontario Reformatory area.

The Ontario Reformatory opened in 1911 and served as a correctional facility for the first half of the 20th century. From 1970 through to its decommissioning in 2001, parts of the Reformatory site were repurposed and operated as the provincially run Guelph Correctional Centre. In 2016, Infrastructure Ontario indicated its intention to sell the property and completed the required environmental remediation at that time. The lands are now used by the public for passive recreation and environmental education.

The Ontario Reformatory lands, also known as the Guelph Correctional Centre, are at 785 York Road in Guelph’s east end, south of York Road and west of Watson Parkway South.

This project is divided into two phases. Each will include a mix of technical and engagement tasks:

Update

On March 21, the findings and recommendations of the Ontario Reformatory Heritage Conservation District (HCD) Study Phase 1 report will be presented to Council. The Study recommends that the Ontario Reformatory area, which consists of a unique collection of built heritage resources and cultural heritage landscape features be considered for designation as a heritage conservation district under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act and that a heritage conservation district plan and guidelines be prepared.

The staff report is available on guelph.ca/agendas. To access the agenda on the council calendar click on the March 21, 2023 meeting and the link for the agenda will pop up. The report starts on page 82 of the council agenda.

Phase 1: Heritage Conservation District Study

We will assess the historical, design, and contextual value of the study area; identify contributing and non-contributing properties and resources; review the existing policy framework in the area, and define boundaries for the cultural heritage landscape. Phase 1 also includes community engagement to help the project team further understand the community’s experience of the area and to inform the proposed HCD boundaries.

Phase 2: Heritage Conservation District Plan

Based on the outcomes of Phase 1 and the Council’s approval, we will build on the recommendations of the study. The plan will provide guidelines for managing change in ways that highlight the distinctive character of the area.


Tell us about your connection to the Reformatory Lands

The history of the Reformatory Lands is complicated. From its beginnings as a space where imprisoned individuals could learn new skills to a place where a more traditional form of incarceration was practiced to its present where it supports recreation, education and access to nature, these lands are filled with stories. As part of this project, we want to gain a stronger understanding of the stories associated with the Reformatory Lands - both the good and the bad. If you have a connection to these lands, we invite you to share it here. Anonymous responses are welcome, and if you would like to share your story privately, please contact a member of the project team to share your story via email or set up a phone call where you can share your story with one of our staff members in confidence. These stories are integral to the historical significance of these lands, and will form a significant part of our HCD Study. 

Thank you for sharing your story with us. We look forward to including it in our Heritage Conservation District Study.

CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.
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    Birdlife at the Reformatory

    by Cameron Shelley, almost 2 years ago
    I often enter the Reformatory lands paddling on the Eramosa river. One of the great attractions of that stretch of water is the prolific birdlife.

    For example, every year there is a great blue heron (or its descendants) who fish in the river in the vicinity of Clythe Creek. It often ignores me and carries on fishing but flies up the Creek if I happen to disturb it. The beaver pond up the creek is apparently its sanctuary.

    Other herons, blue and green, occupy the shoreline from there to upstream of the trestle bridge, along with kingfishers, ducks, geese, blackbirds... Continue reading

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    Could be a Fantastic Recreational Area

    by ralphbillings, almost 2 years ago
    Here are my thoughts on this Beautiful Historic Property:
    1. Excellent Walking Trails, some maintain by the Guelph Hiking Trail Club. We walk there 3 or 4 times per week, often start at Stone Road and follow the GHTC along the east side of the Eramosa River. This trail passes the historic stone Quarry (very interesting). We then circle the ponds and the east fields and return to Stone Rd
    2. Lack of Parking is an issue. We park on York Road, the Legion parking lot on Watson Road or Stone Road at the River
    3. The Ponds would be an excellent... Continue reading
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    Awesome wildlife

    by Claudia1234, almost 2 years ago
    I visit this place often, and I always find it so serene, the ponds, the wildlife, the birds, the mature trees, everything is so amazing!, it is a place within the city that makes you feel like you are 100 km away from all the buzz, it is a place where I go when I need to recharge, my son suffers from Anxiety and this place always calms him down, it works wonders on his mental health, just hearing all the birds and little critters that inhabit the place, it would be a tremendous lost not to have this kind... Continue reading
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    Daycare or outdoor school

    by Norm1957, almost 2 years ago

    As a teenager I enjoyed the fishing at the ponds walking around the trails exploring different areas I have a friend that owns a daycare and mention it would be a great spot for a nonprofit daycare or outdoor schoolThanks

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    An Amazing Place

    by carolynjj, almost 2 years ago

    I am an outdoor educator. I have brought groups of children to the reformatory lands and there is no place quite like it. The biodiversity there is rich and magnificent. Each time I walk through the place I marvel at the potential it has for becoming a community hub that honors the natural and cultural history of Guelph. We need vast green spaces to support biodiversity and leave a legacy of care for future generations. I would like to see the area preserved as a nature reserve and community hub, dedicated to maintaining biodiversity and promoting education.

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    andree_zeritsch@rogers.com

    by ANDREE N ZERITSCH, almost 2 years ago
    The Reformatory Lands are so important to Guelph residents. The trails, the ponds, the wildlife, the flora. We need to preserve at a minimum 70 acres. Once it is gone... it is gone forever. As a new resident to this area, the Reformatory Lands were my introduction to this community. They have made a lasting impression. We need to keep a portion for the residents' enjoyment. We are so fortunate to have this space. Let's preserve it!
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    Old times and New times

    by Nina Szpakowski, almost 2 years ago
    When l was a student attending the university in the late seventies l often passed the reformatory lands and marvelled at the immaculate nature in which the grounds were kept and how hard the inmates worked to trim all the grass, correct a slipped rock that had fallen out of place or pick up any debris. They created a very beautiful green space that was happily used by many Guelph residents for their wedding photos! That was how l was introduced to the culture, that was Guelph, at that time.

    Since then l have graduated, moved away from Guelph and... Continue reading

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    b.weaver@rogers.com

    by bweaver, almost 2 years ago
    These lands have been walked by my family and I since my children were youngsters. We enjoy the birds and other wildlife. As indigenous people we woudl really like to see this be a place where medcinal plants can be harvested, openly and the stories of this land shared with new comers to our lands
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    A community nature hub for humans and animals

    by Rhubarb, almost 2 years ago
    There is no other place in Guelph like this. The number of migrating bird species, birdwatchers, the dog walkers, photographers, nature appreciators, the fisher folk spending time alongside --and on top of, the pond -- (ice fishing in the heart of a city is essentially unheard of!!) The options for walking//terrain-- paved surfaces for those folks - elders and young ones, that may have a hard time with hilly or rougher terrain; more narrow forested and grassy trails that pass alongside the river. The tracks to be seen from: birds, dogs, snakes, rabbits, squirrels, coyotes, goslings, bikes, x-country skis, and... Continue reading
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    Amazing Place to walk

    by melapens, almost 2 years ago
    The reformatory lands are a beautiful piece of the community. I love to go walking there, to collect my thoughts and to watch the birds. Walking here was where I announced my pregnancy to my mother, and today I enjoy taking my daughter out to wander the paths and connect with nature. We are blessed to have such a lovely spot in our community - and I would have to see such a wonderful spot be developed. I would like to be able to learn more about the reformatory and the stories of the people who lived and worked there.
Page last updated: 09 Aug 2023, 11:23 AM